Coughing in Dogs- What Vets don't Want you to Know

Coughing in dogs falls into three distinct groups.

The worst by far is heart worm but fear not. Most dogs are vaccinated for this disease.  Also be comforted by the fact that heart worm appears mostly in dry hot places where mosquitoes thrive. The symptoms do include coughing but they are accompanied by definitive signs that your dog is sick. Appetite changes, the dog gets fever is listless and obviously sick. Heart worm is rare and develops over time. Your vet will want to immediately want to do a heart worm exam.and this will run you around four-hundred dollars. If indeed you get a heart worm confirmation the treatment is brutal. They use arsenic to treat your dog which is essentially poison. Your vet will advise you but in my opinion heartworm means the end. There are actual worms which have entered your dogs heart. Sometimes the cure is worst then the disease and this must be considered thoughtfully for the dogs best interest not the owners.

Another reason your dog may cough is Kennel Cough. Kennel cough is highly contagious and is transmitted between dogs.  A dog from the pound will most likely develop this cough as well as some Kennels. DO NOT panic. Kennel cough is easily cured with some antibiotics. Also, kennel cough gets worst at night. When your dog coughs this is the first option for treatment. Advise your vet that you would like to try antibiotics for two weeks before aggressive testing is necessary.

The other reason your dog may cough is that your dog may have ALLERGIES. The coughing will continue even if antibiotics are introduced.
DO NOT RUSH TO THE VET. The vet cannot magically treat allergies because a diagnosis requires time. Please read the next blog for diagnosis the allergies this is something only an owner can do.
"Allergies in Dogs"